In the past 14 years, the personal computer (PC) architecture has become an accepted standard for applications for personal computing, control microprocessors, point-of-sale registers, vending machines, laboratory instruments, and medical and other laboratory data-gathering instruments. Many other interesting applications are available, if the PC bus and CPU can be made sufficiently compact and the power requirements can be reduced.
Applications of small size microprocessors and related products have appeared from time to time in other technical areas. A special purpose peripheral circuit or add-on card for connection to a computer is disclosed by Brockman in U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,189. The card provides time and date information and continuously updates the normal computer clock whenever the computer is rebooted. The card connects to the computer in parallel with, but does not interfere with normal operation of, a printer or other input/output device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,320, issued to Yorimoto et al, discloses an integrated circuit card including a central processing unit (CPU), program memory, random access memory, a data bus and an address bus. An input/output device, such as a keyboard, is connected to the card entry and readout of information and instructions. The card provides expansion of existing files.
Miyano, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,803, discloses an "IC card", containing an integrated circuit, that has a control unit for data processing, a data memory and a software program memory. The IC card memory stores several personal identification numbers (PINs) and contains a program that compares an externally entered PIN index and the internally stored PINs, to determine whether the data or instructions sought to be entered by the cardholder can be accepted and executed. Data and instruction entry occurs by a conventional card reader.
A "smart" IC card, having a CPU, data memory, a "keyboard" and onboard visual display is disclosed by Tanaka in U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,075. The CPU operates in three modes, namely time display, numerical or calculational, and accounting or transactional. The keyboard includes a numerical keypad and the five numerical operations (+, -, *, /and =) and several pre-programmed transaction keys.
A universal connector device for communication of instructions and data between a CPU of a host computer CPU, a CPU bus of an external co-processor, and a host computer expansion card is disclosed by Rubin in U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,949. Compatibility between the host computer and co-processor is provided by a bridge card that connects the buses of the two processors to each other and to a memory device for use by the co-processor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,802, issued to Shinigawa, discloses an IC card with data memory segmented into externally entered information and information generated internally from the externally entered information, including a history of transactions using the card. The card contains a data processing unit, an input/output unit, and what appears to be a read only memory (ROM) for on-board storage of fixed data processing programs. An error detection unit is optionally included on the card.
Dethloff et al disclose a smart IC card for storing and using the present currency exchange rates, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,873. Exchange rates for several currencies are stored and updated as required. A maximum transaction limit for the cardholder is included, which limit can be translated into the currency presently being used to determine if the transaction is permissible. The card carries a keyboard for data entry, data memory for the currency exchange rates, and a CPU to translate the currency value and compare the transaction value with the transaction limit.
An integrated circuit with an access-controlled data memory contained on an IC card, for protecting secret code data, is disclosed by Schrenk in U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,311. Access to certain parts of memory is limited to one or more predetermined time periods.
Wilhelm, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,926, discloses a printer assembly with a form factor that is as small as a disk drive assembly for a microcomputer. The printer assembly slides between a first position, inside the microcomputer, and a second position, generally outside the microcomputer, for use in printing data provided by the microcomputer. The printer assembly carries its own power supply and has a standard bus arrangement for receipt of instructions and data from the microcomputer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,025, issued to Kodera, discloses a method of downloading a software program to an IC card. The IC card contains program memory, data memory, a CPU, and an input/output interface that transfers program information to the card from an external keyboard or work station. The card keeps track of available memory on board and informs the keyboard user if insufficient memory remains to accept and store a program or data. The program instructions entered from the keyboard can be stored in specified memory locations or in memory locations chosen by the CPU. Absolute addressing and/or relative addressing is available for program instruction storage.
A computer bus interconnection plug-in device to provide PC compatibility with a VME computer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,259, issued to Maresh et al. A circuit board containing a PC/AT bus and a PC/AT CPU and associated random access memory. Provision of input/output devices, such as a keyboard and a video display, for the PC/AT CPU is also mentioned.
Buxton et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,092, disclose an external expansion bus interface for a microcomputer that can select and de-select any devices connected to the expansion device. Device selection and de-selection are implemented by selectively enabling and disabling buffers that intercept signals passing between the external bus and the microcomputer bus.
None of these inventions provides for straightforward entry of data into the microprocessor, for example, through an antenna, or use of a very small computer card, such as a PC/104 card, with satellite or other radiowave signals to provide navigation, location and tracking information for the carder of a card configured to the PC/104 standard. These inventions also do not provide for reconciliation of data entered in a format that is initially incompatible with the format adopted for the PC/104 card. What is needed is an enhanced or improved small computer card that provides these features.